Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity is committed to:

  • Prioritizing and advancing equity in rheumatology care to ensure that all patients have sustained access to expert providers, coordinated care, and state-of-the art treatments.
  • Building, educating, valuing, and sustaining a diverse rheumatology workforce and staff reflective of the populations affected by rheumatologic diseases.
  • Conducting rigorous and respectful patient- and community-engaged research to understand and address inequities in rheumatologic disease burden, care, and outcomes.

DEI Task Force

Priorities

  1. Rheumatology workforce diversity enhancement and pathways programs
  2. Improvement of health equity in rheumatology care delivery
  3. Education of current and future rheumatologists regarding racial and social justice

Members

Candace H. Feldman, MD, MPH, ScD

Candace H. Feldman, MD, MPH, ScD

Dr. Candace Feldman is the Director of the BWH Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. She is also co-Director of Health Equity Initiatives for the BWH Department of Medicine. Dr. Feldman is a rheumatologist, social epidemiologist and health equity researcher focused on improving care and reducing disparities among individuals with rheumatologic conditions. Her vision is multipronged and includes multilevel interventions with both community and hospital-based components, as well as workforce-specific efforts to enhance diversity through pathway programs and social and racial justice curriculum development.

Siobhan Case, MD

Siobhan Case, MD

Dr. Case is a rheumatologist who sees both pediatric and adult patients, with a focus on pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases who need to transition to adult care. Dr. Case joined the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Rheumatology Steering Committee because she deeply believes in the committee's goal of providing equitable, compassionate care for all patients.

Rochelle L. Castillo, MD, MS

Rochelle L. Castillo, MD, MS

Dr. Rochelle L. Castillo is a physician-scientist focusing on the cutaneous aspects of rheumatologic diseases with dual appointments in both the Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity and the Department of Dermatology. Born in rural Illinois and raised in the Philippines, she has practiced medicine in diverse clinical settings in both the U.S. and the Philippines and was a member of the Rheumatology Fellowship Diversity Advisory Committee at NYU. She is dedicated to supporting initiatives aimed at promoting health equity and to helping individuals from under-represented minorities and international medical graduates have access to top-tier mentorship, training, and opportunities in rheumatology and rheumatologic dermatology.

Karen Costenbader, MD, MPH

Karen Costenbader, MD, MPH

Dr. Costenbader is a rheumatologist, clinical investigator and active research mentor serving as Chief of the Section of Clinical Sciences and Director of the Lupus Program in the BWH Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity. She has been an advocate for diversity in rheumatology workforce training, and equity in patient care and research as the Faculty Director of the Office for Research Careers at the BWH, supporting efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion for all researchers, including students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, trainees, and faculty, at the BWH.

Monica Curtis, MD

Monica Curtis, MD

Sonali Desai, MD

Sonali Desai, MD

Dr. Sonali Desai is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a practicing rheumatologist serving as the Vice President of Quality and Associate Chief Medical Officer, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Desai conducts research on improving the quality of care and patient safety with a focus on the ambulatory setting, with over 40 peer-reviewed publications. She has also taught internationally in quality and safety and was a founding program director at HMS for the Safety, Quality Informatics and Leadership program.

Lydia Gedmintas, MD, MPH

Lydia Gedmintas, MD, MPH

Tyler Green

Tyler Green

Tyler Green graduated from Dartmouth College in 2024 receiving a BA in Biology with a concentration in African and African American Studies. While attending Dartmouth, Tyler served as a pre-health mentor for students identifying as URiM. Tyler Also served as a coordinator for the Pathways to Medicine program at Dartmouth designed to support URiM identifying students interested in medicine while prioritizing education surrounding the social determinants of health, and issues of equity and disparity.

Paul Hoover, MD, PhD

Paul Hoover, MD, PhD

Dr. Paul Hoover is a rheumatologist and physician-scientist. He cares for patients with autoimmune syndromes and investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving disease and the impact of genetic heterogeneity that underpins severe outcomes. He is a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force and the Director of Translational Research in Lupus Nephritis in the BWH Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity.

Tiffany Y. Hsu, MD, PhD

Tiffany Y. Hsu, MD, PhD

Dr. Tiffany Hsu is an Instructor in the BWH Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity. She is a rheumatologist and basic scientist studying the role of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of autoimmune conditions and the mechanisms underlying the regulation of innate immunity. Dr. Hsu is committed to improving equity in access to care for those with autoimmune conditions.

Mariano Maeso

Mariano Maeso

Alisa Mueller, MD, PhD

Alisa Mueller, MD, PhD

Dr. Mueller is a physician scientist in the Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where she studies molecular mechanisms driving chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. As part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Rheumatology Steering Committee, she is excited to support initiatives to improve patient access to quality care, promote diversity in the workforce, and advance health equity research.

Hannah Nelson

Hannah Nelson

My commitment to advancing DEI efforts is rooted in my lived experiences. Growing up in a community that celebrated multiculturalism, while still recognizing the many existing disparities, cultivated a conscious desire to create positive change. My hope for our work is to foster a lasting culture of inclusion and equity within our division that welcomes difference, challenges pre-existing misconceptions, and advocates for all patients and colleagues.

Daniel Solomon, MD, MPH

Daniel Solomon, MD, MPH

As a rheumatologist for 25 years at BWH and a leader in clinical research, Dr. Solomon recognizes the importance of equity in our mission. The task force helps ensure that rheumatology provides equitable care through a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Sara Tedeschi, MD, MPH

Sara Tedeschi, MD, MPH

Dr. Tedeschi is a rheumatologist and clinical investigator in the BWH Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity. Her clinical practice includes many patients who speak Spanish only. She feels strongly about reducing barriers to access rheumatology care, particularly for patients who do not speak English.

Ana Valle, MD, MHS

Ana Valle, MD, MHS

Dr. Valle is a rheumatology fellow and identifies as a group underrepresented in medicine. She is passionate about being part of the DEI Task Force because it is imperative for our institution and the rheumatology field at large to build ties with and mentor URiM trainees to highlight that they too belong in rheumatology and research. Dr. Valle believes that in rheumatology, we need diverse providers to match our diverse patient population and our DEI task force works towards this goal.

Workforce Diversity Enhancement and Pathway Programs

The Department of Medicine (DoM) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and antiracism efforts through advancements in patient care, research, and medical curricula to recognize and mitigate health inequities from oppressive systems. The DoM also strives to advance the careers of underrepresented in medicine (URiM) residents, fellows, and faculty as well as Asian and women faculty and trainees. Learn more about the Department of Medicine's DEI work.

The Academy for Workforce Advancement to enrich Rheumatology Diversity (AWARD) is committed to promoting racial and ethnic diversity in the pediatric and adult rheumatology, advanced practice provider (APP), and allied health professional workforces through multifaceted strategies. Learn more about AWARD.

Health Equity in Care Delivery

The Health Equity Innovation Pilot (HEIP) program has provided funding for 34 projects to date constituting a commitment of approximately $1 million from DoM and divisional funding. An additional 5 projects will be included for Year 5 of the program (2023-24).

The Division of Rheumatology and the Department of Medicine cofounded 3 HEIP grants:

  • Addressing Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Lupus Care Through an Integrated Care Management Program Pilot (2019-2020, Drs. Jessica Williams and Candace Feldman)
  • Promoting Equity in Rheumatic Disease Care and Research through Peer Leadership: The PRAISE Program (2021-2022, Drs. Siobhan Case and Candace Feldman).
  • The Impact of Climate Change on Individuals with Rheumatologic Conditions Receiving Care at Mass General Brigham (2024-2025, Drs. Paul Dellaripa and Candace Feldman)

Learn more about HEIP.

Other programs underway in the Division include social determinants of health-related screening, funded through a grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation and a community-academic partnership intervention to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Black or African American individuals in the greater Boston and Chicago area, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Additional details coming soon.

Racial and Social Justice Education

Several Recommended Resources on Health Equity Issues Relevant to Rheumatology

Overarching Framework for the Study of Social Epidemiology
  • Epidemiology and The People’s Health by Nancy Krieger Krieger N. Epidemiology and the people’s health.; 2011. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195383874.001.0001

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